Well, well. It looks like Tom Ford has finally learned to embrace the inevitable and love the Internet. The Texas-born, Gucci-made, London-based designer is known to many people for many things. But to web folk he’s particularly remembered for banning online journalists and photographers from attending his London Fashion Week shows for the last few seasons, for reasons not altogether clear except to possibly control exclusivity or the mood of the room. (Not like it’s earned him any fans.)

But no more. It seems Ford has done an abrupt about-face, telling The Times Magazine (UK) that he will invite online professionals to his spring ’13 collection after all. He even—gasp—used the B-word. “[It’s] going to be for 500 to 1,000 people. Photographers, bloggers — a regular, real show,” he revealed to the newspaper. And to what do we owe this newfound enlightenment? “I now have 100 stores worldwide. The company has jumped and I can no longer service the stores by not showing. So I have to love it and embrace it.” Sounds more like an obligatory peck on the cheek than a big sloppy kiss, but we’ll take it.